BEST CHILDREN'S BOOKSTORE (2010)

If you take your bookstores the same way you take your lunch break—predictable and safe—then the cats and chickens wandering about at Wild Rumpus may not be your Shakespeare-in-waiting kid's cup of tea. On the other hand, if you're up for a surprise or two, give the youngsters a gentle shove through the little purple door to Wild Rumpus Books in Linden Hills, and plan on staying a while. Opened 18 years ago by Tom Braun and his former wife, Morgan, the store feels like a cozy home at first, with overstuffed stacks of titles that go way beyond the latest Twilight tweenster marketing phenom. Move further in and things change. The ceiling becomes a sky. Kids tromp across the old wood floors chasing little critters. Parents flop into old, overstuffed armchairs. Imaginations run free. And if that's not enough, there's a steady stream of family-friendly events on the calendar. This past winter, Newberry Medal author Kate DeCamillo read from her latest book, The Magician's Elephant, and indie folk singer Haley Bonar performed a special children's concert.